Anastasia Story
by J.R. Jenx
Summary: Inspired by the movie Anastasia. The heir to the Strife Family, Roxas Strife, went missing at the age of eight, because of the Strife Family Curse. Roxas, who goes behind the name Ventus, has no memory of who he was, and goes off to find out. AU AkuRoku
1. The Beginning

**A/N: Hi! Another story? Yes. This was inspired by the movie Anastasia by The 20th Century. I love this movie with my whole heart, so I thought I'd do a story inspired by it.**

**Summary: Inspired by the movie Anastasia. The heir to the Strife Family, Roxas Strife, went missing at the age of eight, because of the Strife Family Curse. Roxas, who goes behind the name Ventus, has no memory of his past, or who he was, and goes off to find out, meeting someone on the way. AU**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I own Anastasia.**

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**There was a time, not very long ago, when we lived in an enchanting world. Elegant mansions, huge parties. The year was two thousand and eleven, and my son, Cloud, was the father of the famous family, the Strife's.**

There was a grand ball being held at the Strife home. It was grand, and elegant. Gowns, and tuxes were the main wearing. They were circling around the ballroom, like dradles. Everyone was content with the ball, as they were every year. Smiles and laughter everywhere, not a frown in sight.

Perfect.

There was a woman, in her early fifties, standing gracefully up in the loft. She wore a long crimson dress, with sleeves that went down loosely to her wrists, and red flats on her dainty feet. Here hair was a grayish brown, and was wrapped in a bun, that was covered by a matching beret. Her eyes were a crystal blue, which matched the diamond necklace she wore, which she, unknown to the people, never took off. For it had been given to her by her mother, which was given by hers, and so on.

Even when she spoke, she had a simple elegance to it, "Roxy, darling!" She spoke to a young boy, with honey blonde hair, with a tint of strawberry, that swiped off to the side. He had azure eyes, which struck at people because of the thick eyelashes that framed the blue. She waved to him, her lithe hands were covered with short white gloves.

The boy was dancing with his father, who had similar colored hair to the boys, but his was blonde, that defied more gravity than the boy's. The boy was lifted in the air, and spun around by the father. When the blonde had heard her call, he stuck his tongue at her playfully, and continued to dance with his father.

The woman smiled and laughed a tinkling bell laugh, and turned to sit down in a chair, while she watch the boy dance, and laugh.

They were celebrating the three hundredth anniversary of their family's rule. That night, no star burned brighter than that of their sweet Roxas, the woman's youngest grandson, who begged her not to return to Destiny Islands. So, she had a very special gift made for him to make the separation easier for both of them.

The little blonde boy, ran from the dance, and up the red staircase to the woman sitting in the chair. He saw a glint of something in her hands, but it disappeared like a shooting star. He was very curious of it, and instantly ran to her. Standing tall in front of her, she smiled, and held up a small circular golden case, with a small slit in the side. The boys face lit up with excitement. His hands curled up to his chest, twisting nervously with each other.

"For me?" He gently took the golden case from her. "Is it a jewelry box?"

In the background, a boy with spiky fire red hair, and green eyes, he was gnawing on a succulent red apple, when he was grabbed from behind by a servant.

"Axel!" The boy was lifted in the air, he tried to struggle out of the grip. "You belong in the kitchen!" He was quickly escorted out of the back door. He was successfully unseen by the two, but that didn't mean he was unseen by others.

"Look," The woman ordered gently, and took the bracelet off her hand, and grabbed onto the thin ornament that said _Together In Destiny_, unbeknownst to the blonde, and stuck it into the slot, twisting it a couple times, before the green top opened, showing a woman and a man dancing in a circle, and faint music sounded from the inside, and the boy's eyes widened.

"It plays our lullaby!" He shouted, surprised. His eyes sparkling, as he grabbed onto one of her dainty hands, gripping it tightly.

"Yes," She replied, still smiling, "You can play it at night when you go to sleep, and pretend it's me singing!" She laid a hand on her heart, and started singing to the song, "_On with the wind, cross the sea. Hear this song, and remember,_" They swayed their arms and bodies to the music.

They started singing together, the boy's voice so beautiful, it left tingles, "_Soon you'll be,_" The woman spun the boy around, "_Home with me,_" She brought him closer to her, singing softly to him, "_Once upon a December._"

He kneeled to the woman, then stood again, letting go of her hand, to give her back the music box. She quickly gave him the chain, and whispered unto him, "Read what it says."

The kind boy twisted it around and read the words out loud, "Together...in Destiny?" He gasped, eyes hysterically wider than before, "Really? Oh, Grandma!" He spread out his arms so it looked like eagle wings, and hug his grandmother tightly, she chuckled and hugged him back, just as tight.

But, not all could be as perfect as that moment for that little eight year old boy. For there was evil lurking in the darkness, that had come out from it's cave, and crashed the ball, the people turned away from the ugly sight, for they thought they might go blind.

This man smelt of rotting flesh, and decaying acids and bones, it burned their noses, and they dug their faces into the shoulders of one another.

This man had ratty gray hair, striking boney features, and golden eyes. He was tall, and thin, but had small muscles. That showed under his coal black coat.

They thought he was a holy man, but he was a fraud. Power mad, and dangerous.

The party goers backed away from the smell, creating a path for him, straight to the father, who was furious, and stopped him from going any further.

"How dare you return to our mansion," He spat at the disgusting man.

"What?" He gasped. "I am confident!"

"Confident?" He scoffed. "HA! You are a traitor! Get out!" He ordered the rotting lump of living flesh.

"You think you can banish the great Xemnas?" He curled his fist, and brought it above his head. "By the holy powers vested in me, I banish you!" He spit out the last word, and pointed at the blonde man.

The man, who was named Xemnas, brought out a bottle with neon green light spilling out from it, he rasped, "With a curse!" Everyone in the room gasped, horrified. "Mark my words! You and your family," He gestured to the whole family, "Will die within fourteen days! I will not rest until I see the end of the Strife line forever!" He raised the bottle, and a green mist shot out from it, hitting a chandelier, and making it crash down in the middle of the dance floor. The people screamed, and started sprinting from the ball room.

Xemnas was consumed by his hatred for Cloud and his family. Xemnas sold his soul for the power to destroy them.

He was in the chamber of his room when he whispered to the bottle, "Go... Fulfill your dark purpose," Green figures poured out from the inside, and out the window to wreak havoc, "Seal the fate of Cloud and his family, once and for all."

From that moment on, the spark of unhappiness in the country grew to a flame, that could soon destroy the Strife Family Lives forever.

A statue of Cloud was tied to ropes, and pulled down, breaking it into many pieces, as the people filled the mansion and broke everything in sight, angry for the havoc that descended upon them because of the Strife's.

"Papa!" The small blonde boy called, before he realized he forgot something, "My music box!" He ran back from the way in which he came.

"Roxas!" The old woman called out for her grandson, she ran for him, desperately trying to catch up to the fast boy, "Come back! Come back!"

Roxas crashed into his and his sister's room, and ran towards the doll house that his sister usually played with, and grabbed the music box that he had put in there, the grandmother ran through the door, and closed it quickly, "Roxas!" there was a crashing sound outside the door, and they whimpered. The grandmother quickly grabbed Roxas by the arm, and lead her one way, "Please hurry!"

Out of the wall came the redheaded boy. There was a small opening, he ran towards them, and grabbed them both by the arms, "Come this way! Out the servants quarters!" He quickly guided them through the opening, but because of the force, Roxas dropped his music box.

"My music box!" She tried to get out, but she was pushed back in by Axel.

"Go! Go!" He yelled, then closed the servant door, and as soon as the door was closed, men with pistols barged through the door.

"Where are they, boy?" Axel was frightened, he grabbed the vase that was on a table, and threw it at them, it broke into million pieces. He was quickly cornered by the men, and hit on the back of the head with a gun. He crumpled down to the floor, his hand laying close to the music box.

Outside, the Roxas and his grandmother were running in the snow. Trying desperately to get away.

"Grandma-ma," He cried out when his grip was about to slip.

She grabbed him by the arm then, and said, "Keep up with me, darling."

The passed under the bridge, which held the man named Xemnas. He jumped off the bridge and into the snow. He grabbed onto the foot of Roxas, who screamed out.

"Xemnas!" The grandmother spit out, terrified that even if his name was spoken from her lips, she would turn to dust. She grabbed onto Roxas' shoulders, and tried to pull him away.

"No! Let me go! Please!" He pleaded while struggling to get out of his grip. He just kept screaming please like it was a mantra, but Xemnas didn't listen to her pleads.

"You'll never escape me, child," He growled and kept pulling Roxas' foot, "Never!"

This whole commotion cause the ice to break. Unknown to Xemnas, they were sitting over a frozen lake, and when the ice broke, he fell into the water, successfully letting go of Roxas' foot, and the Grandmother and Roxas got away, leaving him to suffer.

A small bat-like creature flew up in front of him, and called out, "Master!" And watched as Xemnas drowned into the ice cold water.

The train whistled, and Roxas and his Grandmother hurried to catch up with it, "Roxas, hurry!" She said to the panting boy, who was quickly running along side her.

The grandmother was successfully pulled onto the train, but the boy, Roxas, was left running, trying to grab onto her hand, "Grandma-ma!"

The grandmother held out her hand even more, and screamed, "Take my hand!" Roxas grabbed her hand, "Hold onto my hand!" Roxas tried to hold on and keep running.

"Don't let go!" He told her, frightened, but his grip slipped from her hand, and he fell, hitting his head on the tracks, and slowly going unconscious, while the grandmother cried his name as the train disappeared.

He was left there until he woke up. He was wondering around when he was grabbed by an old woman, and taken to an orphanage. All he had left was a simple bracelet.

No memories.


	2. Leaving The Orphanage

**A/N: Hi! Another chapter and I hope you enjoy it! I finished it in one day, because I was too lazy to do it so I did it last minute! :D I hope you like it!**

For many years Roxas stayed in the orphanage. He was never adopted, for he secluded himself from others, and refused to talk. He only spoke when he felt the need to. Which was almost never.

Three days after he was taken to the orphanage, they asked him his name. He didn't speak a word, and kept his head down, refusing eye contact. They took this as a sign that he didn't remember anything. They gave him a new name, Ventus, which meant "wind". He agreed to the name, and went by it.

Ventus was an obedient child. He did his chores without complaint, and ate with manners, unlike the rest of the children who scarfed their food down their small throats. He cleaned up after himself, he never made a big mess, and he was quiet. But, this worried some of the people who worked at the orphanage. Yuffie, one of the workers, was the one who understood him, for she, too, had lost her memory at a young age. She knew what it was like, and she showed him the ropes.

When he turned sixteen, he started talking more. He laughed his first laugh in a long time when Hayner, a orphan, slipped on a banana and fell on his bottom. "That was so cliché!" Was Ventus' exact words.

When he turned eighteen, it was a sad time for some of the children, for they had grown to love Ventus like a brother.

Ventus was wrapped in his warmest clothes. Which was a soft gray scarf, a long-sleeve green sweater, and baggy beige pants, that covered his shoes a bit. On his head was a faded purple beanie, that covered over his ears to keep them warm.

All the children were pushed up against the window as he was guided out into the cold winter snow, and brought to the gate by the mean, old Head of the Orphanage, Maleficent. No one knew if she had a last name or if that was her last name. She held an air of mystery and anger around her. I wonder how she even thought of running an orphanage.

"I got you a job at the Farmer's Field. Go straight down this path until you reach the fork in the road. Then go left –," She was cut off by Ventus' loud goodbye to the children. Her eyebrows furrowed as she asked, "Are you even listening to me?"

He looked back to Maleficent and faked a smile, "I'm listening, Maleficent."

Maleficent saw through the fake smile, and grabbed him by the shirt, "You've been a pain in my ass since you arrived! Now, the pain will be gone, and so will you."

"It took you long enough to get over the anal sex you get from that creep Jafar," Ventus grumbled out, folding his arms.

"WHAT?" She screamed, turning around so she was face to face to him, their noses touching.

Ventus smirked smugly, and said innocently, "Nothing!"

She growled, opened the gate, and threw him out, "I fed you, I bathe you, and I –,"

"Kept a roof above my head," they both said, and Maleficent rasped a groan.

"How can you not have a clue of who you were back then, but you can still remember all that?" She said, surprised.

"But, I already have a clue! It's – " She was cut off by Maleficent's voice.

"Yes, yes. I know! 'Together in Destiny!' So you want to go to Destiny Island to find your family?" She asked, menacingly. Ventus nodded frantic. Maleficent cackled, "It's time to know your place, Ventus! And be grateful, too!" She spat, and closed the gate forcefully. "Together in Destiny! Ha! Stupid brat!"

Ventus scowled at the old lady. He never liked her at all, she had been a pain in his ass, too. She tried to get him to talk once, and when he refused, she slapped him, hard. It was Yuffie who had comforted him.

He got up slowly, picking up the scarf that had fallen off, and started walking down the street, stopping at traffic lights, pressing the button to walk, then going on until he got to the fork in the road.

"Be grateful? I am grateful, grateful to get away from that old hag! 'Go left' She says! Oh, I know what's left!" Ventus ground out, mocking Maleficent's voice. He was angered by that bitch. "I'll be Ventus the weak orphan forever," An idea came to him as he look at the other sign that said 'Twilight Town'. "But, if I go right? I might be able to find..." He gave a big sigh, and grabbed his bracelet off his hand, and clenched it in his right.

He scoffed, "This is stupid... Me? Go to Destiny Islands? Bah! It's impossible," He settled on the rock between the signs. He threw his hands up, "Send me a sign! Anything! Please..." He brought his hands down, and rested a chin on one. He sat there, contemplating on where he should go, when, out of the blue, a scruffy dog jumped out from the snow, and barked.

Ventus jumped up, and yelped, falling forward, "What the fuck?" He turned around and tried to sit up, when he was forced down by the dog, who was on his chest, and now licking his face, "St-stop it!" It licked inside his mouth, he spit out some saliva, "Ew! Gross! Get off me!" He grabbed the dog, who was wiggling in his hands, and stood up. He put the dog down on the ground, and sat back down on the rock.

The dog just ran to him, and scratched his leg, barking nonstop. He tried to kick it away, but it only kept coming back, "Leave me alone! I'm waiting for a sign!" He tried to kick the dog away again, but it whined and grabbed his bracelet that was now loose in his hands, and pranced down the road to Twilight Town. Ventus ran to grab the dog, and his bracelet, but only fell down in the snow. The dog barked again like saying 'Hurry up! This way!'.

He stared at the dog, his eyes widened after a few seconds, and stood up, with a smile across his face, "So... a dog wants me to go to Twilight? Well... okay then. Lead the way, scruffy!" He pointed down the road, the dog whined pathetically. Apparently, it didn't like the name. The dog then dropped the bracelet in the snow, and Ventus ran to pick it up.

"Please, heart. Don't fail me now. Courage, don't leave me, now that I have decided," He slowly stood up, and followed the dog down the street to Twilight Town.

"People may say life is full of choices, but they never mentioned fear," He said absentmindedly. He could feel something in his chest, he never remembered feeling it, but he knew he had felt it before. He couldn't put his finger on it. "Or, how the world seems so huge, when your trying to find your past," He sighed sadly, but kept following the dog. While staring at the excited dog, he felt like he should give it a name. He couldn't think of one, so he decided he'll try to find one along the way.

About an hour of walking down the road, Ventus could hear faint music that seemed to get louder and louder. He turned around to see a small maroon car. He waved his hand for it to stop, and it did. The car window rolled down, and he looked in to see a man with periwinkle hair that covered one eye, which color was a beautiful violet. The man was wearing a regular pale blue crocheted sweater, and dark blue jeans.

"Yes?" His voice was beautiful, too. It had a sophisticated sound to it.

"Um, are you willing to drive an orphan to Twilight Town?" Ventus asked the man politely, his mouth in a small smile.

He brought one hand to his chin, like he was in deep thought. After a couple of minutes of thinking, the man sighed, and unlocked the door, "Get in."

Ventus opened the door, and crawled inside and onto one of the clean leather seats, then clicking his seat belt, "Thank you...?" He was trying to ask for his name.

"Zexion. Your welcome," He kept his eyes on the road as he drove through the snow, and Ventus pet the dog, begging it to stay calm.

They stayed silent for a while before the blonde broke the silence, "Ventus."

That caught Zexion's attention, "Huh?"

"My name is Ventus," He looked towards Zexion.

"Ah..." Zexion breathed, "Well, then... Hello," He chuckled, then focused again on the road.

Then, again, they fell into awkward silence, which begged to disappear. Ventus sighed again, and Zexion looked over at him again curiously, "Why are you going to Twilight Town?"

Ventus knew he was probably going to ask this. So he decided he couldn't handle lying, for he was terrible, "I'm trying to get to Destiny Islands to find my family. Down this road, I know someone's waiting for me. And when I get there, arms will be wide open, and I'll be safe and wanted. I've dreamed of that for years, and I'm hoping they won't be wrong. You see, I don't remember who I was. I was found on the streets before I woke up, and was taken to the orphanage. I didn't have anything. Only this bracelet," He passed the man his bracelet and let him look at it for a second, before taking it back.

"I'm trying to get to where I belong, and I'm sure it's in Destiny. That's why I'm going to get a train in Twilight Town to get there," Ventus breathed in and out, wondering how he'll take it. He looked over to see that his face looked pretty calm.

"Oh," He grunted, "I hope you find them, Ventus."

"Thanks, Zexion," Ventus whispered softly, before facing forward.

They drove in silence for the rest of the drive, which didn't last long. They stopped in front of a house, and Ventus looked at Zexion curiously. Zexion unlocked the door, and got out of the car, ducking his head back in to ask, "You getting out?"

Ventus unclicked his seat belt, and slid out of the car, still staring at Zexion, who waved a 'follow me' gesture. He immediately followed and walked by Zexion's side before reaching the house door. Zexion grabbed a key from his pocket, and unlocked the door, opening it and walking inside. Ventus followed immediately, and sighed in relief at the warmth, and wrapped his arms around himself.

"This is your home?" Ventus asked Zexion, as the periwinkle haired man plopped down on a two person couch. The house was surprisingly cozy, and homely. There was a TV, and three couches. One of which Zexion was seated upon, and two recliners beside the two person couch. They were all the color indigo, and were facing the television.

Zexion huffed, and sighed, "Yes."

"And, I'm in here because?" Ventus asked, and he walked into the living room.

"You can stay here for a night, then I will take you to Twilight Town. Now, take a seat by me. My wife and kids are out shopping. They won't be home for possibly an hour, just relax and watch some TV," He pat the seat next to him, and the blonde sat down beside him, looking at the TV. He had never seen a TV before. The children had talked about them, but the orphanage couldn't afford one. Zexion grabbed a remote, and turned it on, changing the channel to thirty-seven. There were four doctors around a table talking about something I didn't know about.

"Ah, House," Zexion sighed, "It's my favorite show."

I watched curiously at the show. It was surprisingly interesting, and funny. I found out why they called it House. The main character's last name was 'House', and he was the most hilarious. I laughed loudly at some parts, but most of the time I chuckled along with Zexion.

About an hour flew by, and the front door opened. We turned out attention to the sound, and a woman with short black hair, and bright blue eyes came walking in along with two small boys. One had silvery purple hair, and an eye patch over his right eye, his left eye was a cerulean. Depending on the height, he looked around twelve. The other boy had black hair, and had crimson brown eyes. He was tall and lanky. He looked around sixteen or seventeen.

When they saw me, their eyes widened curiously, before taking their seats on the recliner. The woman walked into the kitchen to set down the bag of groceries, before walking out and stood in front of Zexion, eyes on me.

"Zexion? Who is your guest?" She asked, her voice innocently curious.

He looked at the blonde, then her, "His name is Ventus. He is an orphan trying to get to Twilight Town to get a train to Destiny to try and find his family. I met him when I was driving home from work, he ask if I could drive him, and I offered that he could stay here for a day, then I would drive him to Twilight Town."

"Oh," She said simply, "Well, I hope you enjoy your one day stay. We are having my Special Soup, with my families secret recipe!" She turned and walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner, Her head popped out, "Oh! And, my name is Xion! I'm Zexy's wife!" Then went back to cutting up the onions.

Ventus stared at the door to the kitchen confusedly, "She took that well."

"Yeah. Oh, and these are my sons," He gestured to the two boys sitting in the recliners. The smaller boy was resting his cheek on a fist, he was staring at the show that was playing. "The smaller one is Ciel. He's thirteen. The taller one is Sebastian. He's seventeen," They both looked at me as their names were said, grunted, then waved smally, and returned their attention to the TV. Ventus waved slightly back at them, and turned back to Zexion.

"Thanks for letting me stay. I'm grateful," The blonde bowed his head slightly, but Zexion just waved his hand dismissively.

"It's nothing. It's fine," He said nonchalantly, but Ventus could see the faint blush that was on Zexion's face. The blonde smiled faintly, and spun back around to watch the TV with an animated look on his face.

About an hour of watching House, Xion called them for dinner. The boys raced to the dinner table, and took their seats beside the chair on the end. Ventus and Zexion walked to their own respective seats, and waited for Xion to bring the pot of soup.

She set it down carefully in the middle of the table, and sat down in the seat next to her husband. They folded their hands and whispered a small prayer. Ventus followed along, but he didn't really have a religion, because he was stuck in an orphanage for so long, that he had completely lost hope in a god. So he just went with what was happening.

"Amen," They whispered simultaneously, before the boys fought for the spoon. Ciel won, and got his food first, before passing it to Sebastian. When everyone got theirs, Ventus grabbed the spoon, and poured some into his bowl, before grabbing his own fork and spoon and started eating. The first bite was like heaven to him. He started eating faster, but paused when he saw they were looking at him curiously.

"Um, this is very delicious, er, Xion. Best thing I've ever had. Thank you," He dipped my head in embarrassment, but felt a dainty hand touch his back, and he picked up his head and stared straight into Xion's eyes.

"Thank you, Ventus. I'm glad you enjoy it," She grinned, and rubbed his back reassuringly. He smiled back at her, before continuing to eat, but this time more slowly. He smiled for the rest of dinner.

"Okay, boys! Time for bed!" Xion clapped her hands together, and the boys raced to their bedroom. They shared one because they were very close, even though they fought a lot.

Xion was leading me to my room, she had a blue nightgown on, which only complimented her eyes more. She led him to the guest room. It was pretty simple. It was almost all white. It had a bed, a dresser and a night table. All the essentials that you needed. It still had the cozy warmth that the whole house had. Xion smiled warmly at Ventus, before telling him, "I hope you think the bed is soft enough. You look like you haven't had a nice sleep in years!" She hugged him tightly before skipping out of the room.

Ventus glanced at the bed. It looked absolutely mouth watering. He walked slowly and crawled into the bed. It was so orgasmly soft, like heaven. He fell asleep quickly, snoring slightly.

The small dog that had been following him around had jumped onto the bed, and slept by his side after finding a comfortable place to his chest.

The rest of the night was peaceful, with the small twinkle of the snow fall.

* * *

**I'm sad. You wanna know why?**

**My dog is going to be put down.**

**She's the cutest little chihuahua ever! She got some tumors and now she broke a foot, and she's going to be put down. After 14 years of life, she's going to die.**

**I'm mourning right now. But, I'll still write! You guys rock, whoever the hell is reading this!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next one will be in faster!**

**Review Please!**

**~Jenx**


	3. Twilight Town

**A/N: Hi! Sorry for late chapter. My parents said quote:**

"**Get off that damn computer! You are going to spend time with the family for Thanksgiving and you will like it!"**

**And... I'm grounded. So I snuck onto the computer to write the rest, and am now posting it today! :D**

**Parents... What're you gonna do?**

**Anyways, I hope you didn't mind waiting. I'm very sorry.**

The faint sound of the snow falling roused Ventus from his sleep. He sat up slowly, and yawned, stretching his arms as far as they would go. He pulled the covers back, and turned to place his feet on the floor, slowing bring himself up, and the wrinkles of his pajamas straightening out.

He trudged out of the guest room, and through the hallways, the puppy following after him. He shuffled into the living room, and saw Zexion, Sebastian, and Ciel watching morning television. They looked severely bored. He would, too, if the only good thing on was either Morning News, or Blues Clues.

And, You all know which one he'd rather watch.

Zexion turned away from the TV, "Xion is making Breakfast. Come, sit down and watch Blues Clues."

Ventus took a seat quickly, he sniffed to clear the mucus from his nostrils, and a delightful smell wandered into his nose. The smell of French toast, bacon, and sunny-side-up eggs. Delicious! He grinned. French toast was his favorite breakfast food!

He turned his attention back to the screen, where Joe was currently trying to find a clue. Steve is way better than Joe. Screw Joe. Steve is better! Oh, here comes Magenta. She never really did anything. He doesn't like her too much, he thought she was okay, but He didn't like her. Oh, yay! They found a clue! Whoopee.

"Breakfast is ready!" Ciel and Sebastian jumped up from their seats and fled from the living room like it was a deadly disease. Can't blame them. Joe _is_ a disease. Zexion and Ventus positioned themselves slowly onto their feet, and strolled towards the Dining Area, and took a seat at their respected place.

Xion appeared in the doorway with a plate of bacon, plate with a stack of pancakes, and a bowl of eggs. Ventus felt drool creep out of his mouth, but quickly wiped it away. He didn't want to look like a slob in front of the family. That would be rude.

Once she set down the dishes, the boys grabbed two pancakes, couple of eggs, and two pieces of bacon and set it on their plates quickly. Ventus chuckled at their eagerness. He was guessing that they were very hungry while waiting for him to wake up.

He took his own portion of the deliciousness, and poured a reasonable amount of syrup on his pancakes.

They ate in not total silence, the cause of that was Ciel and Sebastian's munching and smacking. Other than that, it was tranquil and quiet.

"When do you want to leave, Zexion?" His words cut through the peace. He had to leave soon, He needed to get to his family. He needed to see if they were alive!

He froze. He put down his fork and knife on a napkin, "I don't know. When do you think?"

Ventus thought for a moment, then decided. "I think after breakfast."

"Okay," Zexion sounded mournful, he had come to enjoy Ventus' grinning face, and his company. They barely had any guests, for they lived in a rural area. Sometimes a weary traveler would come around, and stay for tea, but would leave soon after.

They both went back to enjoying the taste of the fluffy pancakes, and the crispy bacon. It wasn't long before they were finished, and it was time for Ventus to leave.

Ventus gave a quick hug to Xion, thanking her quietly for the food and bed, and went to ruffle Ciel and Sebastian's hair. He took a deep breath, and turned towards Zexion, who was currently trying to unlock the door to his car.

He said his goodbyes to the family, and promised they would meet again. He stalked off towards the car, and waited for Zexion to unlock his car door. He jumped in quickly, closing the door to close of the cold wind that was scratching against his face.

Zexion turned the key in the ignition, and pulled the lever, successfully starting the car. He drove off into the thicket, following the paved off rode that was set out in front of them. They drove in complete silence, the only sound was the engine revving.

Zexion sighed. He glanced at Ventus, who was looking down at the dog in his lap. How he didn't notice the dog was beyond him. It was such a quiet little dog. Ventus was petting it softly, and the dog was digging his face into the palm of his hand, gently rubbing it with his soft fur. Ventus smiled.

Zexion, desperate to find a subject to break the silence with, furrowed his eyebrows. Concentrating, his tongue sticking slightly out of his mouth. He then spoke. "So, have you heard of the Strife Tragedy?"

Ventus was broken from his reverie, and tilted his head. "Yes, I have, but only small parts. I heard that the grandmother is desperately searching for, er, what was his name. Ryan? Rusty? Rhode – ?"

"Roxas," Zexion interrupted. "His name was Roxas."

"Ah! Yes," Ventus exclaimed. "Roxas. But, I also heard that there were fakes who went to the grandmother, and she's getting fed up. She's starting to think that Roxas is dead."

"What do you think?" Roxas shrugged. He didn't really know much about it. In the orphanage, they were kept very uninformed.

"I think, that he may be alive somewhere, and he's trying to find his family... Like me," Ventus sighed. He and Roxas were in the same boat. Both lost, and trying to find their connection to their heart.

The car stopped at a dead end. Well, not really. The road wasn't paved of the snow, so they couldn't go any further. "I guess, this is where you go from here, Ventus." Zexion kept his head forward. "Hopefully, you'll come by again."

"I will, Zexion," Ventus promised, and raised his pinky. He cuddled his dog into his chest, and slid out of the car and into the wet snow. He waved to Zexion with his free hand, before turning to walk through the rest of the forest. He heard the engine rev behind him, and the sound slowly disappearing in the distance.

The slush of the ice under his feet was a very intoxicating sound. The way he could still feel it move around under his feet through his shoes, and the way it sounded like a song. The wind blowing the trees added to the faint music he heard. He hummed along as he squashed through the dark, forbidding woods.

It wasn't long until there was an opening. The bright light stunned Ventus for a second, before he adjusted. The sight in front of him made his heart beat fast, and his eyes widen with excitement.

In front of him, was the orange, brown, and red buildings, the huge clocktower, the ginormous Strife Mansion on top of the hill, and the bustling streets of Twilight Town.

He smiled through the small tears of joy at the beautiful sight.

"At last."

* * *

"Next!"

"But–!"

"I said, Next!"

"Axel, calm down!"

Two men were sitting behind a desk with a list of names. One of the men had long pink hair, that fluffed up a bit at the ends. His eyes were blue, and his face was finely chiseled, with somewhat high cheekbones. He was wearing a lovely attire that consisted of a pink muscle shirt, and blue jeans. The shirt highly complimented his hair, eyes, and tan-pale complexion. He was very tall, but wasn't as tall as the one next to him, who he was looking at with great worry.

The other had hair that was a fire red. He could be recognized from three miles away with that kind of hairdo, which was spiked heavily back, but wasn't sleek. It was sharp and edgy, like a knife. This man had enchanting emerald eyes, with catlike pupils, and black eyelashes that framed around it. Following under his eye and out like lashes, were red tattoos, that made his eyes more catlike. Under his eyes there were two purple upside down tear drops, that only added to the tattoos. His complexion was clear and pale. He was wearing a dark green t-shirt, and black dress pants. He was very tall, and slim, he had hips that jutted out from his sides, making him look sexy. He was furiously scratching out a name on the long list, it said "Tidus".

They both had black coats hanging on their chairs, which was a mahogany brown, the same color as the desk in front of them.

The man on the stage, walked away with a gloomy aura surrounding him. The two men faced each other.

"Axel. You need to calm down," The pink haired informed the very uncalm redhead, named Axel.

"I know, Marluxia! But, these people are pissing me off! Why can't we find one person who can play the part of Roxas Strife? It can't be that hard, can it?" The redhead seethed. His eyes a narrowed, teeth bared.

"Most people don't have the look for Roxas. Remember he had blue eyes, thick black eyes, and blonde spiky hair. The last one was really close. What was his name?" Marluxia took the paper from Axel and squinted, trying to look through the dark scribble. "Tidus? Yeah. Him. Though, his eyes weren't blue enough. Are you sure you saw Roxas' eyes correctly?" He peered over at the pouting redhead.

"I'm sure, Luxia. I remember how he looked. I remember everything from that night! I can even picture his frightened face," Axel clenched his hand, nails nearly digging into the skin of his palm.

"Kind of a shame he's dead," Marluxia dismissed, turning his head back to the stage.

Axel grunted at him, glaring at Marluxia.

"Sensitive topic?" Marluxia guessed.

"Yes, Marluxia," Axel rubbed his temples with his index finger and thumb. He sighed heavily.

"Let's get out of here then," Marluxia gathered his papers and placed them in his bag. Then, slid his his arms through the sleeves of his jacket. Axel, too, got up and did the same thing. He tied his hair back with a band, and placed a maroon fedora on his head, and lead the way out into the cold morning wind.

* * *

"One ticket to Destiny Islands please!" Ventus was carrying the scruffy dog in his arms as he called out to the booth person, who had long black hair, with a gray steak tied back into a pony tail. He also had an eye patch over one eye, which made Ventus highly curious to what was under it. He also had many scars, and a very rigid one on his cheek.

"Exit Visa," The man held out his hand, expecting it to be put into his hand.

"Wha- What?" His eyes widened at the words. He didn't know he needed one.

"No Exit Visa, No Ticket!" He slammed the window closed, making Roxas, and the woman behind him jump.

"What the hell?" Ventus said absentmindely.

"Ahem!" Ventus turned around to see a woman with long black hair, in a blue outfit. She had a big bust, and her blues eyes complimented her beauty. "See Axel. He can help you."

He looked at her curiously, "Where can I find this 'Axel'?"

"You can find him in the Strife Mansion. But, you didn't hear it from me!" She giggled and pushed him out of line, urging him to go. Ventus nodded to the woman, then started his journey to the strife mansion

**So Like it? Dislike?**

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**Please. **

**Hey, little After Chapter Q/A, if you can guess it right, I will make a SEPARATE chapter story or one shot dedicated to you on ANY pairing of Kingdom Hearts! ANY PAIRING! :D (Except Heterosexual if the rating is M)  The rating can either be T or M!**

_**Q: In the First Chapter, who was Roxas' Grandmother?**_

**Well? Who was it? I want to see how many know :D**

**Hint: It is a person from Kingdom Hearts!**

**Put your Guess on your Review! Do NOT mail me them. Your answer in a PM will be Ignored and Deleted! Answers will not be accepted when chapter 4 is posted!**

**Review Please**

**~Jenx**


	4. Figures

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry for late Chapter! EXPLANATION in ending A/N.**

**This is the chapter... oh I shouldn't tell you! It's supposed to be a surprise! You'll find out as you read on!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, and remember...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

* * *

After half an hour of asking about where the Strife Mansion was, Ventus finally got his answer. A kind old lady, pointed in the east direction, and he thanked her quietly, before he moved on. It was starting to snow again, just a small fall, nothing too drastic.

He fell to the ground with a grunt. Someone had bumped into him from behind, and pushed him, butt first, into the snow. He grumbled angrily, and looked up, a redheaded man was walking away from him, he narrowed his eyes at the figure.

"Hey! Watch where the hell you're going!" He shook his fist angrily in the air, then scrambled to get up before the snow made his ass freeze. The man glanced back at Ventus, but shrugged him off, and kept walking.

Although Ventus was still angry, he let this happening slip from his mind, and he was off towards the Mansion again. He waddled through heaps of snow, and dodged out of the ways of cars, before he finally reach his destination.

The Strife Home was humongous. Three or four stories high, white exterior, with a maroon roof, there was a big archway as the entrance, black gates were attached to this archway, and there were huge push open doors, that were a sweet mahogany color. There were broken statues in the dead front yard, and many ripped curtains and cloth draped low from the window. Snow hanging loosely on the pieces of debris

The mansion, itself, was a wreck. From one glance, you wouldn't even give it another chance. But, Ventus could see the inner beauty in it. He closed his eyes, and smiled peacefully.

"_Grandma!" A small, petite blonde, with blue eyes appeared through the darkness under his eyelids._

_It looked strangely like–_

Ventus' eyes snapped open. That little boy... He thought, but shook his head, trying to shake it out of his mind. It was soon left in the tiny box in the back of his mind. Forgotten, but never erased completely.

The blonde continued on, opening the gate, it squealing as the rust was scraped against each other. He tip toed slowly through the dead grassy snow, till he reached the door that stretched four times his size, including the height of his hair. He set the dog (that was almost forgotten) down, and stepped closer towards the door. He grasped the two golden handles, and pushed.

The door didn't budge.

His eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth twisted into a frown, as he tried to open the door again. And again. And again. But, the door still didn't budge. Ventus gave a sigh of defeat, and went to look back down at his scruffy little dog...

Which had disappeared.

He did a double take on the spot where his dog had once been, and there were small paw prints leading to the west (or left) side of the house. Ventus attentively followed the paw prints, and saw that the prints had disappeared into a small opening in one of the boarded up doorways.

He knew he couldn't fit into that small of a hole as his dog could, so he gripped on of the boards, and tried to pull it off. The force of the pull was enough to pull a whole bunch of boards of the hinges, but since the boards gave easily, Ventus fell hard onto his bottom, chips of wood littering all over his clothes. Ventus coughed erratically, the dust of the chippings filling his throat. He threw the wood off of him, and it landed elsewhere as he carefully stood up and brushed the miniscule debris from his pants and coat. "Well, that's done," he murmured, and nervously entered the home.

"Sora!" His voice echoing throughout the entire home. He didn't know what caused him to call out that exact name, he just did. "Sora, where are you?"

As if on cue, the small, brown dog, with curious blue eyes appeared from the shadows. Ventus sighed in relief, hand racing towards where his heart was beating like a caged bird trying to escape. He bent to pick the dog up, but it dodged away from his hands. He moved to pick the dog up again, but it raced off to exit the room through a door on the other side of the room. Ventus hurried to follow Sora, trying not to lose the dog from his sight again.

They entered an undestroyed room. It was magnificent, and grand! A beautiful room, with a long staircase, it was the perfect picture of a ballroom. He scaled down the stairs, hand lightly brushing the wooden case. He stared, wide-eyed, around the room, he was breathless at the sight of the ballroom. He felt as if he even took one breath, it would disrupt the beauty and calmness of the room. He looked to his side, and was met with a door, that teased him to open it.

He did.

In the room, was a desk mirror, and many tables side by side, covered with a white cloth, and many candles and antique items. He carefully picked up a plate that could obviously be of the fine China sort, and studied it.

_Dancing bodies filled the ballroom, twirling around each other like electronicized gears. Girls with up-dos and curled hair, men with clean, cut shaves. Tuxes and ballgowns, people smiling bright, white teethed, smiles. Red and pink covered lips, and expensive earrings._

_Once upon a December._

Ventus almost dropped the plate, but recovered and quickly set it back down on the table. He felt something bubbling up inside him, begging to be released (A/N: he he, suggestive). Something he remembered, from long ago.

"_Dancing bears, painted wings. Things I almost remember. And a song someone sings, once upon a December,_" He let his hand trail along the white cloth as he stalked towards the end of the room slowly. "_Someone holds me safe and warm,_" He hugged himself tightly. "_Horses prance through a silver storm,_" Ventus sang softly, like a spotted turtle dove, as he skipped lightly, looking into the mirror.

"_Figures dancing gracefully,_" As he sang this, the mirror seemed to show a familiar vision of two bodies circulating around each other, holding each other close, hands intertwined, "_across my memory!_" He turned from the mirror sharply after seeing it. His face held confusion.

He exited the room quickly, and back out into the ballroom, checking to make sure the room stayed the same.

Things didn't stay normal, though. Before his very eyes, figures burst from the windows, a sparkling dust surrounding their bodies as they swayed side to side, turning around occasionally. One of the figures held out their hands for the blonde, silently asking him to dance. He, hesitantly, accepted the offer. They spun gracefully across the floor, and Ventus smiled at the thought of liking this. It felt vaguely familiar.

"_Someone holds me safe and warm!_" He pulled away from the dancing figure, and onto another one, spinning around, a long, expensive, imaginary coat flowing along with him. He started to sing a little louder, "_Horses prance through a silver storm! Figures dancing gracefully, across my memory!_"

Four figures appeared at the top of the staircase. A woman, with very distinguishing features. She was, indeed, very beautiful. She had auburn hair, and blue eyes, that matched Ventus'. She had a sweet smile plastered on her face, which was clear of all blemishes.

Next to her, was a tall, blonde-haired man, with identical blue eyes. He didn't have one of those broad noses almost all men had, he had a cutesy nose, one that was smooth, and had a not very noticeable bridge. His hair spiked up, kind of like Ventus', but more gravity defying. He was, also, beautiful, in a sense.

In front of the couple, were two children. One that looked almost exactly like the elder woman, but had the blonde hair of the man, and it was lightly tossed over one shoulder. She, too, had blue eyes, that were full child innocenceness. The boy next to her had the hair definition more to the elder male's side, but the hair color had taken to the brownish color that was in the elder woman's. Again, this one had blue eyes.

A family, Ventus realized sadly, but kept his smile.

"_Far away, long ago,_" He started prancing towards the family of four slowly, continuing to sing the song he had, out of nowhere, remembered, from nowhere. "_Glowing dim as an ember, things my heart used to know._" He bowed slightly towards them, recognizing their royal-resembling clothing. They, themselves, bow back towards him, shocking him a teeny bit, for he was only a peasant orphan.

"_Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember,_" The elder man held out his hand, and Ventus immediately took it, a warm, fuzzy feeling flowing through him. They, too, had started to dance, like a father and son would. He started to sing a little softer as most of the figures began disappearing, "_And a song... someone sings,_" They stopped dancing, and the man kissed his forehead lightly, before joining the family where they stood once again.

"_Once upon a December..._" He finished as they disappeared, along with the rest of the dancing figures. He knelt to the floor, and sat there, watching them fade away. He closed his eyes lightly.

"HEY! What are you doing here!" Ventus gasped at the voice that had yelled from across the foyer, and up on a balcony.

* * *

"That's it, Axel. We've searched through every boy that would've possibly fit that description in this town, and still no one was fit enough to play Roxas!" Marluxia yelled, but quietly, at Axel, showing him the whole list of names, that extended across the floor.

"We'll find him, Luxia! Remember, one look at this box, and Aerith will be fooled that it was Roxas," Axel grunted softly as he ran into someone, but kept walking, even when they fell down.

"Hey! Watch where the hell you're going!" The voice was soft, but sounded murderous. Axel glanced back behind him, and saw a dirt and snow covered boy. He smirked lightly at the boy, but shrugged him off, and kept his stride with his pink haired friend.

"And, before Aerith catches on, we'll be off spending that three million!" In front of them, appeared the Strife mansion, where they made themselves cozy through the years. They entered the home, and locked the front door, before making their way up to the study, where they would have coffee to warm they toes and fingers.

During their warming, Axel heard a slight ripping noise, just a small sound, "Did you hear that, Mar?"

"No," Marluxia said bluntly, shoving a piece of coffee cake into his mouth.

"Well, I'm going to go check it out," He said, standing from his chair, exiting the room. Marluxia shrugged, and followed suit, carefully studying his surroundings as he walked through the long hallway. Axel soon stopped, for he heard of yet another noise. A beautiful noise. He glanced at Marluxia, who was glancing back at him.

Someone was singing in their home. It was a beautiful voice, but Axel and Marluxia didn't appreciate trespassers. Axel frowned angrily, and continued walking towards the voice, and it grew stronger, and louder, thye could even hear a few verses.

"–_long ago, glowing dim as an ember!_" The voice was indeed beautiful, and... that voice. It reminded Axel of someone he knew.

They were face with a closed door, it was where the singing was loudest. The redhead opened it slowly, for fear he may make too much noise, and the singing would stop. He stepped out onto the balcony, Marluxia hesitantly following, and peered over the wooden handrails, to see a blonde-haired boy – the same one I bumped into, Axel recognized.– finishing the soft tune, "_Once upon a December..._" and placed his bottom on the pearl white tile. They could see him close his eyes. That's when Axel interrupted.

"HEY! What are you doing here!" He roared, scaring the petite figure, who gasped so loudly, even they, from way up on the balcony, could hear it.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, you guys want to kill me for being so late, don't ya?**

**Well, you can't. Because this story will, then, never get update, and, therefore, never get finished!**

**And... I need to add more Axel time! I know! There will be more Axel Time! I swear it!**

**And... the explanation!**

**I didn't want to update on Christmas, nor New Years Eve (12-31-10) -slash- Day (1/1/11) because I thought it was kind of too cliché!**

**So I did it on the holiday I made up.**

**It's called Holiday Afterglow!**

**It's the Afterglow of all the Holidays (and sex) that happened that year, and getting ready for the new ones (you little animals, you!). And it occurs on January 2 of every year (for me)!**

**So... Happy Holiday Afterglow!**

**And one day... IT WILL BECOME A REAL HOLIDAY! I SWEAR IT!**

**He he!**

**Afterglow Cookies, anyone?**

**OH!, and the WINNER of the question was... -drumroll-**

**.**

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**Peaceful Dragon Rose! It was Aerith (as said in this chapter XD)**

**And for those who guess the same after... well... fine! I will also dedicated my OWN oneshots to you. But, they will be my ideas, and I shall dedicate them to you!**

**So...: Arielle (non user), you will also get a oneshot dedicated to you.**

**And, Peaceful Dragon Rose?**

**I'm diligently working on your oneshot, but this will possibly be my first lemon written on fanfiction! So... I'm having some trouble. Lol!**

**Thanks to those who have Reviewed, Favorited, and Subscribed! I love you all!**

**I also love those who have read this story, but have not reviewed! I love you for reading this story!**

**Thank you!**

**~Jenx**

**P.S. And before I forget. Do you ever get that feeling, at 1 o'clock in the morning, of inspiration, and total description? Yeah, I got it. Right when I was describing the family. I was all like: "Oh my god! Details!"**

**And... I'm wondering if you have ever felt like your details were just... really descriptive, and you just had the real SPURT of writing?**

**Hopefully some of you have :)**

**P.P.S. Lol, I have another thing to say.**

**ANOTHER DEDICATED ONESHOT TO WHOEVER CAN GUESS IS THE WOMAN OF THAT FAMILY!**

**He he!**

**I'm done with Post Scripts for now, lol!**


	5. Compromise

**A/N: EARLY CHAPTER, OMG!**

**-crickets-**

…

**Whatever.**

**This chapter is DEDICATED to a Loyal Reviewer of mine! She's a great writer, too, and I love her stories.**

**Her name is P5hng-Me-A'Wy! And this chapter is dedicated all to her!**

**=D Surprise! Didn't see this coming, did ya, hon?**

**I worked really hard on this for the past week, and cut off all my social ties for this ONE WEEK. AND... I balanced homework with my writing!**

**I'm proud of myself! :D**

**READ ON!**

Ventus gasped. He sprung from his seat on the floor and glanced up to see two men, with strange appearances. He didn't have enough time to register them completely, for he made like a cheetah, and ran. Feet slapping against the tile. He wasn't a fast runner, and he had to run across the whole ballroom towards the staircase he once came through.

"Hey, stop!" The same male voice yelled, this time more desperate. He could hear the footsteps racing down the stairs, and towards him. Once he heard their feet hit tile, he ran like hell. He didn't want to face the consequences he'd get if he was caught. "Hold on a minute!"

Ventus, being the non-athletic he was, stopped for a breather at the top of the stairs, successfully letting the pursuers gain on him. His back was hunched over as they victoriously stood a couple feet away from his back. He panted, trying to catch his breath. He stood up straight, turning around to face his doom.

"Now, how did you get in h-...here?" The man stuttered dumbly, eyes wide with shock, which was returned with a confused face from Ventus.

This man, was the same one that pushed him over and into the snow. Why was he here? Who was he, anyways?

This boy...

could it be?

Roxas?

The blonde looked warily, and curiously at Axel, who was staring idioticly at Ventus. Axel looked behind Ventus, and at the portrait. An identical, but smaller, blonde was painted, standing proudly next to his family. A small smile placed on his face, his bright blue eyes held protectiveness, but that was easily overlapped by the happiness and innocence radiating of the boy in the picture.

He glanced back at Ventus, who was panting slightly. Who had the same style hair as the boy in the picture. It was the same color blonde, and the eyes.

The eyes gave it away. The protectiveness it held, and the innocence of life. They were the same.

Axel inhaled sharply, shaking his head in disbelief. The slow and wimpy pinkette had finally caught up to him, and was, too, staring at the lithe blonde standing right before them. For he first time today, Axel smiled.

"Marluxia, do you see what I see?" Axel whispered into Marluxia's ear, keeping his eyes on Ventus.

"No," he said, a bit too loudly, for Axel shushed him, holding his finger close to his lips. There were small glasses hanging down from his neck, that Marluxia had put on when they had entered the mansion, themselves. Axel placed them on the bridge of Marluxia's nose, and his eyes widened, seeing the big picture he couldn't see before. "Yes! I see it!"

Axel suddenly felt a slight nipping at his Achilles Heal. He glanced down to see a brown, hairy dog gnawing on his ankle. He shooed the dog away with his foot, which made Sora growl defensively at Axel's foot, before precariously backing up, seeking refuge behind Ventus. Though, it was still giving Axel that cute, little dog glare, that you get when you flick it's nose. The look was pretty entertaining.

The blonde gulped, before asking breathlessly, "Are you Axel?"

The redhead smirked, "Depends on who is looking for him." He strolled curiously, but confidently, towards Ventus, so he was standing only a foot away from the blonde, but the blonde could feel the redheads hot breath fanning over his face.

"My name is Ventus, and I need travel papers," The blonde stared down at his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world, but he was obviously trying to avoid Axel's gaze. "Um, they say your the man to see, but I can't tell you who 'they' are," he blushed as he explained quietly.

Axel didn't listen to the last bit, though. He was too busy examining Ventus, who finally noticed that the redhead was now circling him. His whole face turned a pig pink, and he scowled, "W-why the hell are you doing that? Were you a vulture in another life, or what?" He spun around to face the redhead head on, but seeing the victorious smirk he was holding, only stare at Axel cautiously, ready to run when things got difficult.

"Oh, I'm sorry," He waved his hand dismissively, as he stalked back to the front, next to Marluxia, whose head was way up in the clouds, his jaw slacked at the thought of Ventus possibly being–

"It's just that you look a lot like," He gestured lazily to the picture behind Ventus, and continued, "Um, never mind. You said something about travel papers?"

"Yes," The orphan piped, smiling, "I want to go to Destiny Islands."

"You'd like to go to Destiny?" Axel exclaimed, eyes wider than a baby birds mouth, wanting food from it's mother, and his smirk burst into a grin as big as the Mississippi River.

Apparently, Marluxia had finally brought his head down from above, and was now holding Sora in the air. The dog had been forced to scamper towards Marluxia as Axel was circling Ventus. "Oh! Who is this cute this thing?" He rubbed his face against the small head of Sora, who was giving Ventus a look.

The look would be described as pitiful. The eyes were drooping sadly, eyes big, iris's barely even showing because of the huge pupils, which made Sora look even more pitiful. Most of all, the dog had an irritated curl of the snout, which meant he might attack.

So, the dog tried being innocent, by slobbering all over the man's face, tricking the man into thinking he liked him ("He likes me!" squealed by said pink haired man.), Sora could be such an evil little dog when he wanted, too. Marluxia went back to cuddling with the fluffy pet. Only God knows what was going on in little Sora's head.

"Let me ask you, um, Ventus..." Axel requested, subtly sliding closer and closer towards Ventus, "is there a last name that goes with Ventus?"

Ventus hummed, rubbing both his temples with his fore finger and thumb in somewhat irritation. He peeked up at the redhead, who was staring excitedly at Ventus. The blonde deterred his eyes away from the piercing emerald gaze. "Well, you see," He murmured, a small frown forming on his face, "I don't have one. I was found wandering around when I was eight years old."

"But, before you were, uh–"

"Look. I know it's strange. I don't remember, I have very few memories of my past," Ventus interrupted sharply, blushing a bit for sharing a personal part of his life.

"Perfect," Axel mumbled sarcastically.

"Well," Ventus speaking caught Axel's attention, "I do have one clue, and that is Destiny Islands." Thumbing the bracelet hanging from his wrist. "So, can you two help me, or not?"

The tall man leered at the small blonde, "I'd like to, actually, we are going to Destiny ourselves," he chuckled, sliding three tickets out from his pants pocket, showing them off in front of Ventus, whose eyes widened at the golden papers, as if they were a beautiful sight. He stretched out his hands to grab one, but they were quickly pulled away from his reach, and way up high into the air. He stared desperately at those three tickets that were mocking him. "But, the third one is for him, Roxas Strife," he mentioned, pointing to the picture of the small blonde that looked so much like Ventus. The plan was continually running through Axel's head.

Ventus turned around to see what Axel was gesturing at, and noticed a picture he didn't before. The same family was on it, but there was one that was not included in the ghostly figures he saw. The same blonde he saw before, in the vision he saw before, when he was standing in front of the mansion.

The portrait itself was magnificent. Framed with solid gold. The picture was clearly a painting, and a very well done one, at that. The parents were dressed decently, but very rich looking clothing, and the three children were, too, dressed just as decent.

The blonde girl wearing a knee-length white dress, and small white sandals, with pink and blue plastic flowers. Her hair was still lightly tossed over one should, and a small smile pasted on her small face.

The brunet still had that gravity defying hair, and those same excited blue eyes – they reminded him of Sora's.

But, the one he focused on the most was the petite blonde off to the side of the picture. Whose windswept hair looked as soft as cat fur, and shined like the light glowing off from the sun. His eyes were magnificent, and beautiful, even for a boy. They were a dark shade of blue, and had a very sweet look in them, deep down into the soul. They say, you can see everything about them, by just looking into the eyes. The eyes were the travel way deep into the abyss of the soul.

"Oh," He uttered mournfully, but was shocked when he was pulled away, and up another case of stairs, and into a crimson walled room, with a magenta carpet. Many jewels, vases, and other expensive looking items scattered the desks in the room, and a huge painting hung in the middle of one wall, the woman in the picture stared out, as if wanting to escape and enter the real world. The woman had light brown hair, curled up into a bun, with a pink ribbon holding it in, and blue eyes shone with a mischievous sparkle of childishness, but had a more mature sense to it. She was wearing a simple dark pink dress, that traveled down to the middle of the lower leg, with a white train the fanned out behind her.

Next to her, was that same blonde from the last picture he saw. He was hugging the woman around her waist, and was smiling as big as the Andes. His blue eyes shined with child innocence, and just burst happiness.

It was then when he realized that the two men were talking to him. He focused more on what the were saying now, "We're going to reunite the Heir to the Strife family, with her Grandmother, the only family she has left."

"And, you know, you kind of resemble him," Axel continued Marluxia's sentence. "The same blue eyes! The Strife Eyes! The small hands of Aerith!" He grabbed and rubbed Ventus' hands, which were lithe, as Axel said.

"Cloud's smile, and Kairi's smooth chin!" They gentle caressed these places, as if it was like a broken wing of a bird. They were treating him like a girl, Ventus mentally grumbled.

"Same age! Same physical type!' Axel exclaimed, he knew his plan would work, he had that feeling. This boy was going to Destiny with him when he admitted to playing the role as Roxas!

"Are you trying to tell me, an orphan, that you think that I, _an orphan_, am Roxas?" Ventus burst out laughing. It was the most stupidest thing he's ever heard! He was clearly one of the lowest class, he was absolutely not fit to be apart of such a prestigious family!

"What I'm trying to tell you; is that I've seen many boys across this country, and none of them resembled Roxas as much as you do," Axel snarled, bringing his face as close to the boys as he could, his emerald eyes smoldering Ventus'. "I mean, look at the portrait!"

"Okay, I knew you were crazy from the beginning, but now, you're just weird!" Ventus glared at them both, with a scowl. He didn't need this, he wouldn't be tricked. He started to stalk off, but Axel stopped him by pressing against his chest, successfully making him stumble backwards.

"You don't remember what happened to you!" Axel recalled, trying to persuade him into taking a chance at the idea of being the Grand Heir.

Marluxia knew what was going on in Axel's head, and continued to play along, like he always did. "No one remembers what happened to him!"

"You're looking for family in Destiny!"

"And her only family is in Destiny!" Marluxia finished off, a huge smile plastering on his face, eyes shining.

"Did you ever think about the possibility?" Axel steered Ventus towards the picture again, he was definitely not giving this opportunity up.

"Well, I don't know," Roxas blushed. "It's kind of hard to think about that when you're sleeping on a damp floor. But, yeah, I'm sure every lonely person would wish they were a rich heir."

Ventus fixed his gaze on the little blonde again. He noticed that the blue eyes where the exact shade of blue his own were! He had looked at his eyes in the mirror thousands of times, and he always remembered the color. The blonde hair was ironic. It was swiped off to the side like Ventus', and it was just as blonde. There was a slight difference in the face, though. Even if Ventus' nose was still the curled up kind of nose, and basically had no bridge, his face was more structured than Roxas'. His baby fat was gone, and left a more refined look to it. Not manly, but not boyish either.

"And somewhere, one boy is!" Marluxia breathed into his ear. "You know, the name Roxas actually means 'Wind', which mean it will always be there to come again!" Ventus was to entranced by Marluxia's voice, and the picture of Roxas to notice that Axel had walked away, and glanced at his watch. Only a few minutes till this plan would work. He sauntered back towards the two, to stop Marluxia from talking the minutes away.

"Really wish we could help you, but the third ticket is for Roxas," He pulled Marluxia away from the boy, who was still gazing at the portrait. They quickly exited the room, leaving Ventus to his thoughts.

Ventus laid eyes on the woman, again. He just stared at it, somehow the figured calmed him down enough to think about his situation. He could always say that he could be the Grand Heir, Roxas, but he would know that, because he was an orphan, and was always an orphan since he was eight.

"Why didn't you tell him about the plan?" Marluxia whined, walking stride with Axel.

"All he wants to do is go to Destiny Islands," Axel explained. "Why should we give up the reward money?"

"We're walking away too soon, Axel!"

"Don't worry, Luxia!" Axel checked his watched again, "I got it under all under control." Then, gestured for Marluxia to slow down a bit.

Ventus gently touched the painting with his hand, observing it more closely. "What should I do?" Ventus murmured, hanging his head slightly. He needed to find his family, but he didn't want this all to be for nothing! He glanced up at the picture again, and decided.

"Three, two, one," Axel counted down, and right after he said 'one', Ventus coincidentally called out his name.

"Axel!" Axel grinned triumphantly.

* * *

**A/N: So... How was it?**

**Did you like it?**

**I loved it! And it's the quickest chapter I've ever gotten in! You guys must be so happy! :D**

**Well, please Review, Favorite, Subscribe, if you already haven't!**

**And... Wait patiently for the next chapter! Lol!**

**And, many of you were right on who was the Woman in the last chapter! It was KAIRI! :D**

**She's my tenth favorite character in Kingdom Hearts.**

**And, for those of you who got it right, I'm currently starting a Story full of oneshots! Yours will be in it!**

**And, Peaceful Dragon Rose, yours won't be in the oneshot story thing, but it will be separated from it, and in it's own little story, so it's not cramped in with all my other oneshots!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**And remember, this Chapter was dedicated to P5hng-Me-A'Wy! :D**

**~Jenx**


	6. Leaving Twilight Town

**A/N: Yes, well. Got inspiration, but gained a horrible headache. AND, today (3-1-11) I had to do the fucking Language Arts Star Test. I had to write a Narrative. And I didn't get very many pages to write the story on! So a One-fourth into my story and writing in big font, the District People came in and told us that we wouldn't be given more paper. And I was PISSED! I had to erase everything (bit by bit) and rewrite it. It took me Five Periods and All of Lunch.**

**So, yeah, I'm not beta-ing this chapter. Quite frankly, I'm probably not going to have any betas work on Anastasia Story, only my others.**

**OH, AND BEFORE YOU GO INTO THE STORY! I HAVE TO WARN YOU!**

**I will be editing everything once people stop reviewing on this chapter. Everything will be revised, edited, even this chapter. I'm putting in my filler conversations, I'm fixing all typos, grammar, spelling. Everything! Every chapter will become longer, and more enjoyable.**

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They both turned around at the sound of the redhead's name being called. "Yes, Ventus?" Axel purred, subtly elbowing Marluxia's side.

"Well," he started. "if I don't remember who I was, then why can't I be an heir, or whatever?"

"Go on," He ushered. Right into the palm of his hand, Axel snickered.

"And, what if I'm not Roxas? Aerith would certainly know! Then, she would tell me there's been a huge misunderstanding, right?" He explained, glancing around the room, not making eye contact. He had to do this, or he wouldn't be able to find his family.

Axel wrapped an arm around Ventus. "But, if you are Roxas, then you'll know who you are, and you'll be together with your family again. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"Either way, it gets you to Destiny!" Marluxia exclaimed.

"Right, exactly what I thought!" Ventus grabbed Axel's hand to close the deal, and laughed. "Sora! We are going to Destiny!"

The dog barked in happiness.

"Yeah, the dog isn't going."

I glared at Axel. "Yes. He is."

"No he's not," he argued.

"Well, he's going, whether you like it or not."

Axel held up two hands in defense. "Fine, fine." He gave a sweeping bow. "This way, your royalty," he joked. Ventus giggled, and followed after them, Sora following close at his ankles.

Up in a broken lantern, hidden from sight, was a small, white bat, and next to him was a glowing yellow bottle. He cackled. "One problem. Roxas is dead. All the Strife's are fucking dead!" While he was laughing away, out of the elixir came a tiny, black creature, with weird antennae, and illuminating gold eyes. The mammal had now stopped laughing, and glanced to the side to see the creature. He gasped. "What! After all this time, it finally comes alive?" He peeked down at the blonde boy. "Is that really Roxas?" He murmured, but inhaled as he was sharply pulled from the lantern by the glowing bottle, and dug it's way into the earth.

He was engulfed by darkness.

* * *

The whistle of the train filled Ventus's ears, and through him he felt a shiver of joy. He was finally going to Destiny! He was going to find his family! He couldn't believe it. He smiled wider than he ever had before as he sat in their four-person booth. Sora – who was, for once, calm and in control – was laying down in the seat across from him, next to Marluxia, who was reading a fascinating book called _When the Wind Blows_. Ventus was gazing out the window, silently saying goodbye to Twilight Town, and past the place he once called home.

They passed a familiar house, and he saw the familiar figure of Zexion trudging up the snow to embrace Xion and his children. Ventus waved, even though he knew Zexion and his family wouldn't see him.

As they passed the orphanage, he saw the children in their warmest clothing play in the courtyard. Maleficent was screaming at the kids to get back inside. He bet she was in an angry mood because she found out that he never arrived at the Farmer's Market. Ventus laughed at her furious expression. Marluxia peeked up from his book, surveying the noise, then back down at his book.

Ventus turned his head as Axel entered through the door, and gave him a tiny smile, then fiddled with his darling bracelet. Axel tried to sit in the seat next to Marluxia, but Sora growled menacingly, telling Axel to _keep that butt away from his face or he will bite it_.

Axel grimaced at the fluffy, brown dog before taking his seat next to me muttering something about a mutt and the window seat. Ventuss slouched down in the couched and kept tinkering with his bracelet.

"Would you stop playing with that thing already?" Axel groaned. "And, sit up! You're supposed to be poised."

"How do you know what heirs do and do not do?" He questioned, challenging him.

He smirked. "I make it my job to know, now sit straight."

Ventus scowled, and slumped down more in his chair, causing Axel to sigh with defeat. Axel tried to smile the best he could as he said, "Look, I'm just trying to help. You could at least take my advice."

The blonde sat up, and asked, "Axel, do you really think I'm royalty?" He feinted a smiled, luring the redhead in.

"You know it."

Ventus smiled for real this time. "Then stop bossing me around!" Then, leaned back into the seat, and Axel growled.

Marluxia decided to join the conversation by laughing at our little argument. "He has a mind of his own."

"I hate that in a person," he uttered, and Ventus gave him an evil glare. He felt like he should say something, but it might take away the chance of him finding his family. Marluxia took out a pencil and a piece of paper and wrote something small on it.

Unbeknownst to Axel and Ventus, Marluxia had kept a small scoring chart on who had the most 'burns'. So far, Ventus was ahead by twenty-four, while Axel was at a measly three. Marluxia chuckled to himself.

* * *

After an hour being seated on that train, Marluxia excused himself to the bathroom, leaving Axel and Ventus alone together. Ventus was reading the book Marluxia was reading before – _When the Wind Blows _– and Axel was sitting awkwardly next to him, fiddling with his hands, thinking of something to say. He didn't exactly want the blonde to be angry with him. He finally sighed and stood up. Ventus peered over his book and at the sudden movement in his peripheral vision.

Axel sat down right across from the small just-turned-adult, and focused his gaze straight into Ventus's sapphires. He took in a deep breath. "Look, we got off on the wrong start and–"

"Yeah, I know you did," Ventus interrupted, warily examining the redhead figure. "I appreciate your apology."

"Apology?" Axel said in disbelief. "I was just saying that–"

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't talk anymore, it's getting annoying."

He crossed his arms. "Fine. I'll be quiet if you be."

"Fine," He grumbled.

"Fine."

Ventus looked up. "Fine." He held the redhead's stare for a moment, not backing down. Then the tall man sighed, and leaned back. Ventus looked back down at the book. It was on an interesting part. _Frannie_, one of the main characters, and _Kit_, another main character, had finally caught _Max_, another main character who was a experimented upon, and was given abilities a bird has. Suddenly, there was a question building up in his mind.

"Do you think you're going to miss it?"

"What, your voice?"

"No." He glared. "Twilight Town, you asshole."

He scoffed and shook his head.

"Why not, isn't it your home?" He asked, tilting his head to the side curiously.

"What is it with you and homes?" Axel yelled. He was annoyed with all this talking about where his home is. He placed his feet on the right side of Ventus, blocking the exit.

Ventus became angry. How could this man not care about having a home. "Well," he grinded his teeth, "it's what every normal person wants." He jumped from his seat, and try to push down Axel long legs so he could get through. He finally gave up and just stood up on the soft bench and climbed over his feet to the other side. "Just forget it," he spit.

Ventus growled as Marluxia stepped through the door, who witnessing the sight. "Finally," Ventus moaned. "Get him and his stupid face out of here, please!"

Marluxia gave Axel the stink eye. "What did you do to him?" He interrogated.

"Me!" He exclaimed, eye brows furrowed. "It was all him!"

Ventus sneered at the vile redhead, and exited from their sight, angrily stomping down the narrow hallway towards the bathroom.

Marluxia took a glimpse of the terrified Sora, who had witnessed the whole scene, and raised him into the air. "Is there implied chemistry between them?" He inquired the dog, who seemed to shrug.

Axel's eye widened angrily. "Chemistry?" He gasped. "Between Me and Ventus? Please, not in a million years!"

"It's 'Ventus and I', my dear friend. And, I was only asking a simple question." He watched as Axel left the room angrily.

"Ridiculous." Marluxia heard his friend mumble outside the door, then turned and gave all his attention to the ball of fluff in his arms.

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**A/N: Short? Yes. But, at least I got something out, right? I got some of my inspiration back.**

**AND JUST A REMINDER:**

**I am editing and revising this whole story after no more reviews come into this chapter.**

**So, I hoped you enjoy. And the new revised version will be up soon.**

**~Jenx**

**P.S. I did this all in Two hours. Sue me. :P**


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